Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-15
CHECKING CHURCH FRAUDS.
now 10 Prevent Buttons Replacing Doll
lars in the Collection Box.


A prominent Chicago church which
numbers among It's pcW-h0ldcrs several
mllionaircs, found lately that the contri-
button boxes were not 50 remuncratiyc rs
the wealth of the congregation should
have warranted. How 90 prevent the
Heterogeneous collection of articles which
had been found in ,hc boxes had become
serious question NiCSiCS ana cents largely
predominatcd, dimes were scarce, while
quarters looked positively mousrous in
the aggregation. LoIcugc~, buttons, white
chips, and even wrong combination poor
tickets are said TO have been dropped into
the plush-lncd baskets which &c collectors
passed around each Sunday. The thing
was getting mOnOtOnOus, and the pastor
and his assistants set about deyi>ing some
means 10 countCract The evil. The col.
lcCtOrs were instructed 10 keep close
watch on the donations OF prominent mem
bers of the church and notice how gcncr-
ously or otherwise they gave up 10 the
appeal of the box. The collectors soon OBJ
served that the usual plan of the church
goer was TO drop his or her mite into the
basket from the haicloscd hand held
with the back turned upward 50 that it was
impossible TO tell what the contribution
might be. Constant watching for "a icw days
HOOu AAlNAAOilN4 tlit ANtAt tli4t 4tt'AAAn N AAo
wore diamonds and >calsbin dropped cop
pers in the contribution, and Il man whose
name is a tower of strength on "thc
board" was anything bat thigh roller
when it came TO going long OF spiritual
futures" The church treasury had %
bagful of punched and unCurrent coin
and the pastor had more buttons ON hand
than he could use in ten years. So a new
style contribution box was invented, and il
is great success The new idea is box
about 10y q inches in size attached 90 u
handle for convenience i'm passing along q
pew. This box is closed ON The Top by a
wooden cover This cover Tor oucthirl
Of its length is flush with the top OF The
box, while for the remaining twothi-ds 10
is depressed below the cage about "a half
inch, thus leaving slot between the ends
OF the cover where they meet on different
levels.
The contributor can not drop his money
into this box; he must place il ON the de-
pressed portion of the cover, when gem
tic motion of the wrist on the part OF tie
collector slides the coin into the box
through the Slot in the cover
The scheme compcls Tie clurch-cocr TO
show just what hc giyCs in not only to
the collector, but also 10 any of his neigh
bors who may he looking that way, and
curious eyes are generally following ihc
top of the ncw.fangIcd machine The re-.
suit of the introduction of the extractor
has been most surprising and pleasing 10
the clerical cXchequcr Mrs. Ciearibs
will not put cent in the box while Mrs.
Boulevard can sec the amount, aud the
competition for supremacy in high-priccd
excellencc'which aciuatcs those ladies i'm
mundane things has entered into their
church life, and neither VIII allow the
other TO Guido her IN the matter Of Sunday
contributions. Dollars now are paid as
plentiful rs dimes were before The rev
Grand gentleman who got up the box has q
fortune IA it If he would only patent it.